Sima Zhao
Sima Zhao (rōmaji: Shiba Shō) is Sima Yi and Zhang Chunhua's second son, Sima Shi's younger brother, and Wang Yuanji's husband. Using the foundations laid by his predecessors and his ingenuity, he extended the Sima family influence to gain the people's favor by quelling several civil rebellions. When he was in power, Wu's armies failed to penetrate his formations and Then Shu Han surrendered. His high esteem in the imperial court helped his son, Sima Yan, later establish the Jin Dynasty. Prior to the introduction of the Jin faction in the Dynasty Warriors, he was formerly a Wei non-playable character since the third title of the series. His height for this counterpart is 190 cm (6'3"). He is twentieth place in Gamecity's Dynasty Warriors 7 character popularity poll. In Famitsu's character survey, he placed ninth place for most desirable friend. His Dynasty Warriors counterpart also has two character image songs titled Change the World and Wake Up My Soul. Role in GamesEdit Dynasty WarriorsEdit Since Dynasty Warriors 3, Sima Zhao appears as a minor general under the forces of Wei. He appears at He Fei Castle fighting for Sima Yi. He plays a somewhat major role during Meng Huo's Legend Mode in Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends. He leads the massive Wei army to subdue the Nanman tribesmen. When he hears the natives mock his father, he gets upset. He acts in a similar manner as his father and even adopts his "Imbeciles!" line. In Dynasty Warriors 5, he additionally aids his father at Jie Ting and Chen Cang. During Sima Yi's ending in the sixth title, he is scolded by Sima Yi for believing he will automatically inherit his father's legacy should the former die. Sima Zhao is first seen in Jin's story mode aiding Cao Shuang's foolhardy conquest on his father's behest. The lack of provisions has morale immediately lowered which amplifies with Ma Dai's surprise attack and Cao Shuang's bumbling orders. Sima Zhao defeats Ma Dai to cover the troop's escape, furthering his family's reputation. He supports his father and then his elder brother's conquests. His brother puts him to work at Dong Xing, expecting him to keep an eye on Zhuge Dan. Despite knowing the risks of failure, Sima Zhao slackens in his duties and allows Zhuge Dan to fall within Wu's trap. He reluctantly decides to help his comrade when Wang Yuanji patronizes him to action. Their forces retreat to He Fei Castle, and Sima Zhao asks his brother for reinforcements. They succeed in the second clash. Sima Shi, who wants his brother to take his responsibilities seriously, holds Sima Zhao fully accountable for the loss at Dong Xing. He is later seen at Tianshui and finds himself heavily surrounded by Jiang Wei's army. Sima Zhao and his men are marginally saved by Guo Huai's heroics. Returning to Wei, Sima Zhao then helps his brother quell a civil riot within the court. Although successful in dispatching their foes, Sima Shi later dies due to the internal rebellions and Sima Zhao becomes his successor. Unable to initially accept his new right to command, he is at first obedient to Emperor Cao Mao. Reality for Sima Zhao doesn't completely sink in until he repels Jiang Wei's invasion at Taoshui. Gradually accepting his duties as a leader, he realizes he can achieve his own path in life without feeling restricted by expectations for his family. As he personally subjugates Zhuge Dan and the Wu invaders during their second conflict, he offers his enemies unadulterated mercy and service under his name. The invitation doesn't hold for Zhuge Dan, however, as Sima Zhao is upset by the rebel's callousness. He personally slays the instigator. Cao Mao, who has long since felt his power to be threatened by the Sima family, then declares war on Sima Zhao. Uninterested in ruling as emperor, Sima Zhao kills Cao Mao and allows Cao Huan to become the new Emperor of Wei. He then concentrates his efforts to end Shu and offers Liu Shan a chance to surrender in their duel. The Shu emperor stalls but eventually complies once the Wei army reaches the gates of Cheng Du. As allies, they happily toast one another with hopes to outlive the past and to create a new future. After accepting the title as King of Jin, Sima Zhao has an off screen death one year later. His son, Sima Yan, takes over and creates the Jin Dynasty. In his first Legendary Mode, Sima Zhao fights his older brother who is furiously angry at him for eating his meat bun. His second Legendary Mode takes place after Sima Shi's death. But for some reason, he fights warlords who have passed away long before as he learns how to be a leader. Sima Zhao (211–265), style name Zishang, was a military general, politician and regent of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history He maintained control of Wei, seized by his father Sima Yi and maintained by his older brother Sima Shi, and had himself created the Duke of Jin — the penultimate step before usurpation of the throne, although he would never actually take the throne. He took advantage of weakness in Shu Han to the west and attacked it, forcing the surrender of Shu's people. His military credit helped to set up the plot of overthrowing Wei by his son, Sima Yan, who usurped the Wei throne and proclaimed the Jin Dynasty. After the establishment of Jin, Sima Yan posthumously honored his father as Emperor Wen of Jin (晉文帝), with the temple name of Taizu (太祖). A Chinese idiom involving and inspired by Sima Zhao is one that states, "Everyone on the street knows what's in Sima Zhao's mind." (司馬昭之心, 路人皆知) meaning that a person's supposed hidden intention (in this case, usurping the throne) is so well known that it is not really hidden any more. It came from a quote by Cao Mao, fourth emperor of Wei, who launched an unsuccessful uprising against Sima Zhao to try to take back imperial power. Contents *1 Career up to 255 *2 As paramount authority **2.1 Consolidation of authority **2.2 Death of Cao Mao and complete control of the Wei government **2.3 Campaign to destroy Shu **2.4 Death *3 Family *4 Modern references *5 See also *6 References Career up to 255 Sima Zhao was born in 211, as the second-born son of Sima Yi and his wife Zhang Chunhua, younger only to Sima Shi. As his father was an important Wei official, Sima Shi himself climbed up the ranks of officials fairly rapidly. Due to his father's achievements (not his own) in destroying the warlord Gongsun Yuan, he was created a marquess in 238. Sima Zhao's involvement in his father's coup d'état against the regent Cao Shuang in 249 is unclear. According to the Book of Jin, he was not told about the plan, hatched by his father and his older brother, until the last minute — a view disagreed with by other historians, who believed that he was intimately involved in the planning. In the aftermaths of the successful coup, however, his father became regent, and he himself became important in status. In 251, when his father suppressed the failed rebellion of Wang Ling, Sima Zhao served as deputy commander. During the next few years, he was involved in commanding forces in repelling invasions by Shu's commander of the armed forces, Jiang Wei. In 254, while Sima Zhao was at the capital Luoyang, advisors to the Wei emperor Cao Fang suggested that the emperor surprise Sima Zhao and kill him to seize his troops, and then use those troops against Sima Shi. Cao Fang, apprehensive, did not act on the suggestion, but the plot was still discovered, and Sima Zhao assisted his brother in deposing the emperor and replacing him with Cao Mao. In the aftermaths of the removal of the emperor, the generals Guanqiu Jian and Wen Qin rebelled in 255 but were defeated by Sima Shi. Sima Shi, however, had a serious eye illness that was aggravated by the campaign, and he died less than a month later. At that time, Sima Zhao was with his brother at Xuchang (in modern Xuchang, Henan). The 14-year-old emperor Cao Mao made an effort to regain imperial power. He issued an edict which, under the rationale that Sima Shi had just defeated Wuqiu Jian and Wen Qin's rebellion and that the southeastern empire was still not complete pacified, ordered Sima Zhao to remain at Xuchang and that Sima Shi's assistant Fu Jia return to Luoyang with the main troops. Under Fu Jia and Zhong Hui's advice, however, Sima Zhao returned to Luoyang anyway against edict, and was able to maintain control of the government. Indeed, from that point on, he would not let Cao Mao or Empress Dowager Guo to be out of his control. As paramount authority Consolidation of authority Main article: Three Rebellions in ShouchunDuring the next few years, Sima Zhao consolidated his authority further, leaving the emperor and empress dowager with little power. He further built up a series of events that were viewed as precipitations to usurpation of the Wei throne. In 256, he had the emperor grant him the privilege of wearing imperial robes, crowns, and boots. He further tested waters by having his close aides hinting to the generals around the empire as to his intentions. In 257, when he sent Jia Chong to probe Zhuge Dan's intentions, Zhuge rebuked Jia Chong severely—leading Sima Zhao to summon Zhuge Dan back to the capital under guise of a promotion. Zhuge Dan refused and started a rebellion, submitting himself to Eastern Wu for protection. Sima Zhao advanced quickly on Zhuge Dan's stronghold of Shouchun (壽春, in modern Lu'an, Anhui) and surrounded it, eventually capturing the city in 258 after cutting off any hope of an Eastern Wu rescue, killing Zhuge Dan and his family. After Zhuge Dan's death, there was no one who dared to oppose Sima Zhao further for the next few years. In 258, he would force the emperor to offer him the Nine Bestowments—a step that put him closer to usurpation—and then publicly declined them. Death of Cao Mao and complete control of the Wei government Further information: Coup of Cao MaoIn 260, Sima Zhao again forced Cao Mao to issue an edict granting Sima Zhao the Nine Bestowments, which Sima Zhao declined again, but which drew Cao Mao's ire. He gathered his associates Wang Shen, Wang Jing, and Wang Ye and told them that, while he knew the chances of success were slight, he was going to act against Sima Zhao. He took lead of the imperial guards, armed himself with a sword, and set out toward Sima Zhao's mansion. Sima Zhao's brother Sima Zhou tried to resist, but after Cao Mao's attendants yelled loudly, Sima Zhou's forces deserted. Jia Chong then arrived and intercepted the imperial guards. Cao Mao fought personally, and Jia Chong's troops, not daring to attack the emperor, were also deserting. One of the officers under Jia Chong's command, Cheng Ji (成濟), after asking Jia what to do and was told by Jia to defend the Sima power regardless of the consequences, took a spear and killed Cao Mao with it. After Cao Mao's death, public sentiments called for Jia Chong's death, but what Sima Zhao did first was to force Empress Dowager Guo to posthumously demote Cao Mao to common citizen status and order that he be buried as such. He also executed Wang Jing and his family. The next day, after pleas from his uncle Sima Fu, Sima Zhao instead had Empress Dowager Guo order that Cao Mao be demoted back to duke but buried with the ceremonies of an imperial prince. Sima Zhao then summoned Cao Huan, the Duke of Changdao and a grandson of Cao Cao, to the capital to become the emperor; by now, Empress Dowager Guo was powerless to speak further. Nineteen days later, however, Sima Zhao publicly accused Cheng Ji and his brothers of treason and had them and their family executed to appease public sentiment while sparing Jia Chong. No one dared to act against Sima Zhao even in the aftermaths of the emperor's death, however, for Sima was effectively the imperial authority by this point. Campaign to destroy Shu Main article: Conquest of Shu by WeiIn 262, aggravated by Jiang Wei's incessant border attacks, Sima Zhao considered hiring assassins to murder Jiang Wei, but this plan was opposed by his two advisors, Zhong Hui and Xun Xu (荀勗). Zhong Hui and Xun Xu believed that Jiang Wei had worn out his troops and that it would be an appropriate time to try to destroy Shu once and for all. Sima Zhao put Zhong Hui and Deng Ai in charge of the invasion forces (even though Deng Ai initially opposed the campaign), and they set out in spring 263. Zhong Hui and Deng Ai faced little opposition from Shu's forces, whose strategy was to draw the Wei forces in and then close on them—a strategy that backfired, as the Wei forces, much quicker than expected, leapt past Shu border cities and immediately onto the important Yang'an Pass (陽安關, in modern Hanzhong, Shaanxi), capturing it. Still, Jiang Wei was able to regroup and block off the Wei forces from further advances—until Deng Ai led his troops over a treacherous mountain pass, descending on Jiangyou (in modern Mianyang, Sichuan), defeating Zhuge Zhan and heading directly for the Shu capital, Chengdu. Surprised by Deng Ai's quick advances and believing that Jiang Wei would be unable to return fast enough to defend the capital against Deng Ai, the Shu emperor Liu Shan surrendered to Wei. During the campaign, in light of the successes, Sima Zhao had the emperor Cao Huan bestow on him the title of the Duke of Jin and accepted the Nine Bestowments. Another turmoil quickly came after Shu's destruction, however. Deng Ai, proud of his achievements, became arrogant in his correspondence with Sima Zhao, drawing Sima's suspicion. Zhong Hui, who had plans to rebel himself, quickly forged letters that further damaged the relations between Sima Zhao and Deng Ai beyond repair, and Sima ordered Deng to be arrested. Zhong Hui did so, seizing Deng Ai's troops and merging them with his own, and then, with Jiang Wei as his assistant (but with Jiang's actual intentions to eventually kill Zhong and restore Shu), declared rebellion in 264, but his troops rebelled against him and killed both him and Jiang Wei. Death After Zhong Hui's rebellion was defeated, Sima Zhao was granted the title King of Jin -- the penultimate step to usurpation. He set out to revise the laws and the civil service system in accordance of how he would want his own empire to be. He further sought peace with Eastern Wu, to prevent further complications for his planned takeover—a gesture that was not reciprocated. Later that year, Sima Zhao considered whom to make his heir. He considered his talented younger son Sima You, who had been adopted by Sima Shi because Sima Shi did not have sons of his own—under the rationale that because Sima Shi had great achievement in the Simas' obtaining and retaining power, the succession should go back to his son. The majority of his advisors, however, recommended his oldest son Sima Yan instead, and Sima Zhao finally resolved to make Sima Yan his designated heir. In the autumn of 265, Sima Zhao died, before he could receive actual imperial authority—although he was buried with imperial honors. Four months later, however, Sima Yan would have the Wei emperor Cao Huan abdicate in favor of him, ending Wei and establishing the Jin Dynasty. After he did so, he posthumously honored Sima Zhao as Emperor Wen. Family Main article: Family tree of Sima Yi#Sima Zhao Modern references Sima Zhao is first introduced as a playable character in the seventh instalment of Koei's Dynasty Warriors video game series, in which he is depicted as having a lazy and carefree atmosphere, but underneath it actually being a talented leader and strategist. He is then introduced again as a playable character in Warriors Orochi 3. Category:Characters Category:Jin Warriors